I'm completely shattered After 4 performances of a production at school last week (ending Sat), I was busy all day yesterday and had to go up to London in the disgusting weather for an audition today. I have a scholarship interview tomorrow at 7.30pm so can't afford to relax till after that....!

Can't make a scene, my mum works there - he's her boss... and he's done worse things, specifically to me, which I've reported without it making a blind bit of difference, except that the next day when my mum sent a child to him for punishment (standard "go and see the head of department" thing) he refused to deal with her - though my mum had had little to do with my complaint. In fact I do believe that was the second time he told me that it was my fault the rest of the class (and year) had done badly in that exam originally - I should have helped them, and said it was no wonder I had no friends (I do). And then there was the time he refused to mark my coursework... and oh so many things.
Not that I should rant again.

I take your point about equality... I believe myself equal sure - but what if I believe that everyone else should believe me equal too? For example if I go for a job and don't get it because they decide as a woman I'm too likely to get married and get pregnant and go on maternity leave... If I believe I'm equal it doesn't much help in that situation... but I do know what you mean.



I'm not sure what reductio ad absurdum is... I looked it up and found lots of mathematical proofs... I think I almost understand it, but would you be able to give me a quick example? Yes, of course, well I always think I'm right (I don't think that's arrogant... surely everyone does, or else they wouldn't have opinions) so I just try to prove/show my rightness logically. I would certainly like to learn more though!

Rosemary - yes I totally agree with you - I helped out last year in a French class and the children had their vocab books open, at the page with all the phrases they needed - and they still preferred to put their hands up and ask me to looking down and reading the page in front of them!

Miss Ross

BBTOTW I'm sorry you're so tired - get some sleep tonight and good luck in your interview! Think how great you'll feel when it's done!

Lucky, that's awful! Your English teacher sounds like a real bully - I can see that you have your hands tied because you don't want to make life difficult for your mum but what he is doing is INCREDIBLY unprofessional (but you know that anyway!). Have you ever heard the saying 'living well is the best revenge'? I'd just carry on doing what you are doing and being yourself (you're absolutely right on this matter and your English teacher is being an idiot) and things will all work out eventually.

Looking at your location, I think you live quite close to me and I can't believe how narrow minded people are around here - whenever I go somewhere else, it's like a gulp of fresh air! Even at debating society, where one would think that people would be able to debate and accept other people's points of view and back up what they say with reasoned arguments, there's a general intolerance and hostility towards anyone with a different opinion from the majority.

YAP (I got your PM, btw, will reply tomorrow when I'm able to write a bit more coherently), do you have any more information about constructing arguments? I want to create an indestructible argument!

It is used in maths, but it's a general thing too. Here we go, a little example:

1) Suppose that things which could be burnt contained phlogiston - a special substance intrinsic to all combustibles.
2) Then, if we burnt things, they'd get lighter because they'd lose this phlogiston
3) However, if we burn magnesium, it becomes heavier (magnesium oxide)
4) Therefore, assuming 1 is absurd because we can contradict it, and hence phlogiston is a load of nonsense.

That's the general principle: suppose something, reach a contradiction, and hence prove the opposite of the thing you supposed. In maths, it's called proof by contradiction.

Rainbow and Lucky: have a look at the following:

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2741

It's a free online course provided by the OU. It doesn't go into formal argument in great detail, but it touches on the general principle of argument, is a good taster of what philosophy is like; and, importantly, is an exciting read. And you'll spot the quote in my signature from there - I read it last summer . I neaarrly plumped for a part time MA in philosophy with them after reading it, but am deferring it until after a couple of other areas of study that are of a higher priority for one reason or another.

Hmm yeah, what gets me about round here is the fact that a lot of those who aren't narrow minded get angry with me for contradicting narrow-minded statements (even when it's a matter of factual accuracy, I'm seen as way too argumentative). But you're right, it's lovely to go elsewhere and find out that actually, you're not really in the minority at all!

Yes, Mr C will probably go on being a teacher at the school for a long time, each year he picks one student to detest - but every year that student leaves and gets away from it - and he's still stuck there. So oh well.



Wow that's interesting thank you! I didn't realise I'd done that at all... I'll be paying closer attention to what I say in arguments from now on, to see if I do it often...

Thank you very much for the link, it looks really interesting, I'll definitely be reading that at some point - it recommends some philosophy books by the looks of it at the end, so I'll be able to keep finding things out.

AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH
Teenage daughters AARRGGHHH
Ingredients for food tech lessons and last minute are words that come to mind AARRGGHHH


and apparently it's all my fault..........

I can sympathise Nicki.

My Wheeze (almost literally this morning) is why is that Husbands do not understand the concept of "your wife needs to spend two days in bed resting.

Freezers, defrosting...apparently I should have done it 2 weeks ago!

Oh if only some one would whisk me off to sunny climbs and allow me to rest without my family around me.

I know that feeling Jo. I hope you get some rest.


Now, I've gone into school, to find my yr 6's are all on a trip (4/7 pupils in that school). One of my Yr 3's is ill. I now have to go back this afternoon to teach my Yr 6's. The violin teacher is refusing to go back.... but as a parent, I feel responsible to teach these kids... The parents have paid for the lesson. I'm just annoyed the school didn't tell me about the trip.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH. whimper. slide into corner. expire.

Stupid supply teacher makes nasty comments about our lovely school and ace teachers (because there were a few people messing around at break in the classroom) and says its disgraceful we've been set work out of a text book(but our lovely Mod Langs teacher is having an operation so is off school this week and last and last weeks work was a French essay we've been preparing for, but we're not as advanced in Spanish and she CAN'T leave any other work if you haven't got a languages teacher to teach) and says she's going to complain about this teacher because she's disorganised, but she's not, because she left a copy of the work in the offfice and on the desk, but we couldn't find the work because it had been turned over the wrong way on the empty desk!
AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHH! This teacher made me almost cry! Why come to a school if you're going to make nasty comments about it the whole time?

...

Poor Cyrilla - bet that's all you needed! I do hope the engine is OK, but I know putting petrol in is a big NO. Fingers crossed that the news from the garage will be good.

Thank you...

Cyrilla

Poor you ---- I know about this all too well. In my case, Him Indoors has done this a total of 3 times to the vehicle which on each occasion has immediately seized up and refused to move at all, so the clean out team has had to come to the petrol station itself. Hyper embarrassing as well as super expensive.

You are not alone!!

Twiddel

ooh, C - commiserations. I hope you don't need that new engine !

ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

I have to take my car to the garage too this morning and it might be serious and I need my car to get me to my exam rehearsal and then my exam!

I've just been double-crossed by someone I thought was a friend.

Someone else is going to phone me (because of the double-crossing) and shout at me today for something not my fault and I just don't cope at all with other people's anger so I feel sick and stressed and on the edge of tears already.

I have my violin exam on Monday and I CANNOT get my scales right although I do know them.

I have done NO aural test practice at all and have two days left to learn how to do it!

My floor mop is not working.


....


and you know I'm just not going to let it all get to me... life is too short.... and I am a good person and the other people are just petty and sad.

... no it's a lovely sunny day and I'm just going to go and stand in the sun and think what a wonderful world we live in......

Hope it doesn't end up too expensive...

AHHHH!

Actually overall its been a pretty good week apart from failing my French oral but now Im ill and I still have at least 3 gigs to play and Im supposed to record not only my own GCSE compositions but to help on others. How am I meant to sing for someones ensemble piece when I have no voice?!

AHH

...

Glad your car is better Cyrilla - I think you deserve that good night's sleep...

Well - relief all round about the car !

sounds as though you deserve another meal out - without the drama this time !

I'm ashamed to say that I hooted with laughter when I read this - though I'm sure it was partly relief that all's well that ends well!

So pleased your car bill was no worse; I'm sure he won't do it again! Let's hope you have a less traumatic day tomorrow.

i am so tired i can't function properly. and i don't want to/don't have time to sleep properly. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.

Thanks Baz, maggie and BerkshireMum - yes, a less traumatic couple of days would be nice! Feeling somewhat washed-out with it all...

Thanks, noodle *goes to lie down in a darkened room*

Argh! Back aching from 15km/10mile Duke of Ed walk.

I don't know how i'm going to cope with the actual expedition


But it's a good thing i had my Gore-tex walking boots. They're like magic.....

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK


My violin exam is tomorrow.............

Good Luck!

A pupil of mine is due to take his Grade 1 on Tuesday. He is 9 and has been playing for about a year - I have been teaching him for about 5 months... Today I got a text from his mother asking whether she should buy the Grade 2 pieces so that we can start them in his lesson on Thursday...

W

...

I have just spent an hour and a half trying and failing to upload a simple photograph onto eBay! Our machine has so many bug blockers that it won't even let me do simple things like that. Grrrrrrrrrrr a lot!

You could disable your spyware/firewall for a minute just to do the upload maybe?

My rant today is also about Ebay! First ever annoying seller - although it was something my mum bought, but I'm dealing with it as she doesn't know what to do.

I've never come across such an ignorant old witch in all my life I'm biting my tongue until paypal gives me a refund.... then she'll be feeling my wrath

Hope you get it sorted ad_lib..

My rant: Why is it so difficult to get some analysis software to just work!!??

Rosemary, computers are to save us time, yet they drive us around the bend frequently. On the other hand, I've made friends courtesy of the computer.
My scream is , why do children and husbands all want different things to eat?? I don't have any wish to do 2-3 different meals. Gggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Bev.

My computer usually works, but this particular project is beginning to drive me insane, several failed attempts later...

My advice would be just don't do it - do one meal and if they don't like it, they can go hungry! Never did me any harm

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and GGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!


After trying for ages to put pictures on ebay last evening and eventually sorting that out I tried to add some more this evening. All went well until I hit the CONTINUE notice. It tells me that I cannot continue until i have filled in a highlighted field. BUT THERE ISN"T ONE! We have all looked for it and it doesn't exist. I have emailed ebay with no reply yet. so GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.


Petra jumps up and down a lot and turns purple with frustration, and from jumping up and down a lot.

**sob** Good luck contacting Ebay - they don't make it easy!

You won't believe this one. Mum bought a handbag described as new condition, with tags still on. Bag arrives - it's ripped with a broken zip - conveniently the picture of the bag in the auction is of the other side which looks OK. I've been trying to sort it out on behalf of mum.

Seller has decided that we must have ripped the bag ourselves to get a refund!!!!!!!!!! The worst thing is, they have put things like "this person seems like the type to make trouble and the bag is fine etc...!" That's my mum she's talking about!

Oh she'll pay... she'll pay

Incidentally I would have stopped mum buying the bag had I seen her do it, as the seller writes like a 7 year old in her description and says things like "I can proove you done it" in her emails ... she hasn't come up against me before though....

Shall we send the old ladies around armed with their duck-ended brolleys? The ebay police should sort it out. Go wreck her feedback score too.

Ha! Actually, we haven't left it yet, but the seller's mistake was to leave a positive for my mum.... odd thing to do for a suspected troublemaker

I'll be choosing my words very carefully. I guess I've been very lucky as I've used Ebay for years and haven't had one bad experience. I'm still spitting fire though! It's so annoying to be lied about when you know you are in the right!

Will hold back threat of old ladies for when situation escalates - it might be enough to put the frighteners on her

I say old bean, let me at her.
Shouts Give her the money back you old bag

There that should do it. If it doesn't send for Liddy Or Lavvy

Great Aunt May.

Have gone from being angry to being highly amused after an email received this morning from the seller. I haven't been replying to any silly emails from her but I didn't have enough restraint left for this one :

"when you send the bag back ill know its been sabbataged! Ill get forensics in if i have to!"

Forensics eh??? After wiping away the tears of laughter I composed this reply....

"Dear seller,

What a good idea! I'm sure forensic specialists would be only too keen to spend their time solving the mystery of the £15 handbag. Maybe we should also send for Poirot?"

I know it's a bit cheeky, and a better person than me would have just ignored the message...but it was just too funny

Anyway, paypal have requested I send the bag back and I'll be getting a full refund so it seems they have seen through her tale as I did... then I'll be leaving feedback

The car and fuel companies could fix this very easily by having different shapes of nozzle for different fuels (like the kiddies game with shapes and holes) instead of the half baked idea of different sizes of nozzle. Cars already on the road would just need a simple mod' to the filler.

But they aren't going to do it.

Think of all those lost call out and clean out fees

ARGGGGGG

It's snowing heavily again and I've just cleared the path in my pyjamas so my little dogs could go to the toilet without being up to their ears in snow. We have almost 12 inches of the white stuff. And I don't suppose we'll see a plough on a bank holiday (although the farmer might clear the road for us )

Oh well. It's pretty I suppose

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! i am at my wits' end. i can't think. don't feel good. actually don't feel anything.

Only a slight GRRRRRRRR this time; The shift key on our keyboard does not always work so often I will post something here with the capitol letters missing. I don't always proof read so I have to edit several.

Me too. Mine gets slightly better if I turn the keyboard upside down and shake all the biscuit crumbs and bits of Bombay mix out of it.

GAAAAAHHH!



STUPID HEADACHE!

Too much work. I should do it. That would require moving the junk off my desk though - 2 recorders, several CDs, magazines, music, paper with writing in 3/4 different languages.... Probably more stuff I can't see too.....

Anything specific or just Sibelius in general?

If I ever mention that I am going to take my teenage daughter clothes shopping again, please shoot me.
Bev.